A Quick Watercolour Wash

[PietvWdV]

Hi Jens

 

Welcome to watercolor washes 101. This is they way I do it. There are many ways to do this but you will later find your own way. Here is a good place to start playing.

 

First, we will put a coat of future on the model. Here is what you need : I use the smaller brush for items like the landin gear, and the bigger one for the skin. They are very soft brushes. Also you need some future (or what ever it is called in your country)

[PietvWdV]

Next I take a brush that is clean and dry and I wipe the model to remove any little hairs and dust.

[PietvWdV]

Then I dip my wide soft brush in the future. I only dip the tip and use very very little. With future there is always more than you think on the brush.

[PietvWdV]

Now I put the brush on the model and I spread the future around. That one dip was enough for the whole side. I brush it until it is spread evenly.

[PietvWdV]

When it is done it is wet and shines like this. Now put it down and let it dry. Some will leave it for a day, but I find for watercolour washes and hour or two is enough.

[PietvWdV]

In this picture the first coat of future is dry. If you model was painted in a matt paint, then the first coat or two of future will have this dull shine. You can now put another coat if you want.

 

When you ever want to start doing washes with oil paints, you will need more coats, but for me with watercolour I find one or two coats enough. The dull shine helps the watercolour stick.

 

For this excersise I only put one coat.

[PietvWdV]

I now use the smaller brush to put future on this wheel strut.

[PietvWdV]

After a few hours it is dry enough and we proceed. Here is the watercolours. I use two brushes. One bigger cheap watercolour brush (I got it with the watercolour set) and one small fine tip brush.

 

I also have some papertowel and cotonbuds and some water.

 

Brush your teeth or eat and apple before proceeding.

[PietvWdV]

I use the dark brown and a little black. I mix them with water like I want. Sometimes you want a lot of water, sometimes very little with the paint. When you experiment you will find your own way.

[PietvWdV]

There are many ways to apply the paint. One is to follow the panellines closely.

[PietvWdV]

You can also mess over the lines a bit if you like.

[PietvWdV]

You can achieve various effects, dont be scared to try.

[PietvWdV]

Dont be afraid of my long fingernails! I play guitar for a living

 

You can then take a dry cottonbud and roll it over the lines you painted while they are still wet or a bit dryer, to remove some paint and get an effect you like.

[PietvWdV]

Sometimes the results are very nice and heavily weathered. Be creative. Dont paint the whole panel line, vary the darkness and dirt amount. if you like. try different things.

[PietvWdV]

If it is too much, you can always dip a papertowel in a little water and wipe more away. You can even wipe it all away and start over!